Transcription
CHARTER.
State of Rhode Island, &c.
In GENERAL ASSEMBLY, May Session, A. D. 1811
An Act establishing a Military Independent Company of the name of the WARREN LIGHT INFANTRY, in the town of Warren, and County of Bristol.
WHEREAS the preservation of the United States, depends in time of war, under god, upon the military skill and discipline of the inhabitants : And whereas a number of them in the town of Warren, and County of Bristol, have mutually agreed for the public good, to form themselves into a Company by the name of the WARREN LIGHT INFANTRY, in the town of Warren, and County of Bristol ; and by the respectful petition prayed this Assembly to gran them a Charter of incorporation, with such privileges, and under such restrictions and limitations, as this Assembly should thing proper : --
WHEREFORE
WHEREFORE this Assembly, in order to give all due encouragement to so laudable a design, and to so noble a disposition, have ordained, constituted and granted, and by these presents, do ordain, constitute, and grant--that OLIVER JOHONNOT, JOHN F. PHILLIPS, and JOHN T. CROADE, together with such others as have already joined the, or shall hereafter be added to them, not exceeding the number of sixty-four, exclusive of Officers be ; and they are hereby declared to be an Independent Company, by the name of the WARREN LIGHT INFANTRY in the town of Warren, and County of Bristol, and by that name shall have perpetual succession, and shall have and enjoy all the rights, powers, and privileges, in this grant hereafter mentioned.
IMPRIMIS. It is granted unto the said company, that they, or the greater number of them, shall and may once in every year, that is to say, on the second Monday in April, meet and assemble themselves together, in some convenient place by them appointed, then and there to choose their own Officers, to wit--one Captain, one Lieutenant, and one Ensign, and all other Officers necessary for the training, disciplining and well ordering the the affairs of the said Company ; at which election no Officer shall be chosen but by the greater number of votes then present ; the Captain, Lieutenant and Ensign, to be approved of by the Governor and Senate, for the time being.
Secondly. The said Company shall have liberty to meet and exercise themselves, on such days, and as often, as they shall think proper ; but shall be obliged to meet for exercising at least four times in every year, upon the penalty of paying to and for the use of the said Company, the following fines, viz. the Captain, Lieutenant and Ensign, for each day's neglect, six dollars ; the non-commissioned Officers and Privates, for each day's neglect, three dollars ; to be levied by warrants of distress, directed to the Clerk, from the Captain, or other commanding Officer of the said Company, for the time being.
Thirdly. The said Company, or the greater part of them, shall have power to make such rules and orders, among themselves, as they shall think necessary to promote the end of their establishment; and to lay such fines and forfeitures, upon any of their own company, for the breach of any such rules and orders, as they shall thik proper ; so that the same shall not exceed six dollars, for for any one offence ; and they shall have full power to levy the same by warrants of distress, to be issued in the manner herein before directed.
Fourthly. All those who shall be duly inlisted in the said Company, so long as they shall continue therein, shall be exempted from bearing arms, or doing military duty, (watching and warding excepted) in the several companies or training bands, in whose district they respectively belong.
Fifthly. If any commissioned Officer, or Officers, of the said Company, shall be disapproved of by the Governor and Senate, or shall remove out of the County of Bristol, or shall be taken away by death, or shall resign, then, in either of those cases, the Captain of the said Company, or superior Officer for the time being, shall call the said Company together, as soon as conveniently may be, and choose another or others, in the place of such Officer, or Officers, so incapacitated, to serve as aforesaid, in the manner herein before directed for the election of the Officers of the said Company.
Sixthly, And for the further encouragement of the said company, it is granted unto them, That the said Company shall be under the command of no one but the Captain-General of the State; and when in actual service under the Commander in Chief of the time being.
Seventhly. It is further granted, that the Captain of the said Company shall have full power, by warrant, or commission, under his hand and seal, to authorise all Officers, who shall be duly elected by the said Company under the rank of Ensign, to act in the rank of station to which they shall be respectively elected.
Eighthly. It is further granted, that the Officers of the said Company when called into actual service with the Militia, shall take rank according to their commissions.
SAMUEL EDDY, Secretary.
BY-LAWS
For the well ordering and disciplining of the WARREN LIGHT INFANTRY, in the town of Warren and, and County of Bristol.
Art. 1. Each and every person belonging to said company shall use his best endeavors to make himself master of the military exercise.
Art. 2. Each commissioned Officers shall be furnished by the company, with one epaulet, one sword, and one belt, or sash--and the Clerk and first Sergeant with one sword each, also to be furnished by the Company, proper for their respective stations, and the rest of the said Company shall procure and keep in order, one musket or firelock, one bayonet, and one cartridge-box, with belts for the same, two spare flints, and such other Appendage as shall be ordered by the Captain, with advise of the other commissioned Officers ; and a complete uniform, agreeable to the establishment.
Art. 3. The Company agreeable to charter, shall annually assemble on the second Monday in April, (being the day of their Elections,) without arms or uniform ; and shall also assemble on four other days, to be appointed by the commanding Officer for the time being, with the advice of the other commissioned Officers ; and they shall parade complete with their arms, accoutrements and uniform, at the time and place that shall be appointed by the commanding Officers as aforesaid :--And if any Officer or Soldier shall neglect to appear on the days here fixed, in manner as prescribed, they shall pay for the use of the company, a fine according to the grade mentioned in Charter.
Art. 4. The commanding Officer for the time being, by and with the advice and consent of the other commissioned Officers present, is authorised to assemble the company, or such part of it as he shall think proper, on other days than are fixed, either by regular and stated meetings, or on a particular day ; to direct the arms, accoutrements & uniform they shall appear with ; and to fix the time and place of meeting ; notice of which shall be given by the commanding Officers, as he shall deem expedient for the information of every member:--Any Officer or Soldier, who shall neglect to appear in conformity to the order given as aforesaid, shall pay as a fine for the use of the company, twelve and an half cents, if the stated meeting should be once a week ; twenty-five cents, if once a fortnight ; and fifty cents, if once a month, or non a particular day.
Art. 5. At a precise time, fixed on by the commanding Officer, for the Company to assemble, the Officer eldest in rank present, shall cause the roll to be called ; every Officer or Soldier, who shall not be in his station, with his arms, accoutrements and uniform, agreeable to the arrangements of the day, shall pay a fine for the use of the company, twenty-five cents, on the stated meetings prescribed by the third article :--And on the meetings ordered by the commanding Officer, agreeable to the fourth article, one half the fines their laid for non-attendance. And if any Officers or Soldier shall withdraw himself from the company before it shall be dismissed, without permission of the commanding Officer, he shall be subject to the same fines as are here laid for absence at roll-call : Provided however, That these fines shall not be laid where the person is subject to fine for non-attendance.
Art. 6. After the roll is called the commanding Officer shall inspect, or order an Officer or Officers to inspect the arms, accoutrements and uniform of the company ; and if the arms and accoutrements of any one be out of order or not clean, or his uniform not whole and clean, it shall be the duty of the Inspecting-Officer, to order the Clerk to fine him twenty-five cents.
Art. 7. When assembled, or underarms, no commissioned Officer shall leave his station, without permission from the commanding Officer. And no non-commissioned Officer or Soldier his station, without permission from the Officer commanding, or the Officer of the platoon ; if the arm or accoutrements of any one want any thing done to them, the person must step in the rear to do it, and his place filled up by the man who covers him. While under arms a perfect silence shall be observed, and an implicit and prompt obedience given to the orders of the Officers, in the execution of the duties of their respective stations.
Art. 8. The Clerk shall make out fair accounts of the receipts and payments of all fines, and deliver the same one week before the Annual Election, to the committee who may be appointed to audit the, who shall examine and make report thereof at the said annual election.
At. 9. No member of the Company shall discharge his gun at the dwellings of any of the Officers, upon parade days, nor from the time he comes upon parade ground until the company has been dismissed one hour, without the orders of the commanding Officer, upon the penalty of paying as a fine twenty-five cents.
Art. 10. If any one of said company, while under arms, shall refuse to obey the commands of his Officer, he shall pay a fine not less than one, nor exceeding six dollars, at the discretion of the commissioned Officers.
Art. 11. Every person who is, or shall be an Officer in said company shall be left out of office, so long as he shall continue a member thereof, shall be obliged to appear and hear arms as the rest of said company do.
Art. 12. Should the peace of the County be endangered, or disturbed, or the laws of government violated, and the civil authority require aid ; the commanding Officer, for the time being shall cause the members of said company immediately to assemble, at such place, and equipped in such manner, as he shall think fit to order ; and any Officer or Soldier, who shall neglect, or refuse to appear, shall be subject to a fine, agreeable to the fines specified and laid in the third article.
Art. 13. The commanding officer shall from time to time, as to him appears necessary, fix on an alarm post, and give a parole to the members of his company, and any member who shall make known the place of meeting, or communicate the parole, shall pay as a fine, one dollar.
Art. 14. If any of the company, when at home, shall neglect to appear, agreeable to the third article, with their arms, accoutrements and uniform complete, the four training days successively, without a reasonable excuse to the commanding Officer--he shall pay the fines that may be due, and be dismissed from the company.
Art. 15. Any member desiring a dismission from the Company, shall make known his request to the commanding Officer, either personally or by writing, and shall pay to the Clerk, Two Dollars, together with all fines that may be due from him to the company.
Art. 16. Any person desirous to be admitted into the Company, on making known his intentions to the commissioned Officers, and if they approve of him, he shall be admitted to the privilege of a member of said company, upon signing the inlistment.
Art. 17. Every person admitted a member of this Company, shall within one month, after his admission, provide himself with the arms, accoutrements and uniform, agreeable to the establishment of said company :--And any person neglecting to equip himself within that time, shall be subject to the fines agreeable to the third and fourth articles.--And any person neglecting to equip himself as aforesaid, within three months after his admission, (provided the person is resident in the County during that time,) the commanding Officer shall cause the fines against him to be collected, and dismiss him from the company.
Art. 18. The commanding Officer is empowered to remit the fine or fines which shall accrue, in case of absence from the County, inability, sickness, or the sickness or death of relations or friends, But, in every other instance, it shall be the duty of the commanding Officer, to cause the fines to be punctually paid, within thirty day after they become due, if the member be resident in the County during that time.
Art. 19. If any member of the Company, while at home, should be taken away by death, it shall be the duty of the commanding Officer, for the time being, on having information thereof, to learn the day when he is to be interred, and make the same known to the company by a list of the members delivered to the Serjeants from the Clerk, together with the hour when, and the place where they must assemble, and the arms and dress they must appear with ; and any one not appearing, as aforesaid, shall pay for the use of the company, seventy-five cents.
Art. 20. Each member shall be furnished by a Copy of the CHARTER and these BY-LAWS, which shall be carefully kept and produced to the commanding Officer, at the Annual Election ; and any member who shall neglect to produce them as aforesaid, shall pay as a fine six-cents :-- And any member neglecting to appear at the Annual election, after having been legally warned, shall pay as a fine for the use of the company, seventy-five cents.
Art. 21. The members now belonging to this company, after mature deliberation, do agree to the aforesaid regulations, and mutually pledge their honor to each other, for the
